Insecurities
by nadeshikofan
Summary: Adrienette/MariChat/Ladrien/LadyNoir - Series of Oneshots - [Rainy Days] "Even if she wants to, she can't run forever."
1. Asymptotes - Marinette's POV

**A/N** : I just felt like writing some angst and this ended up being written rip although yeah what a great way to start what might potentially turn into a series of different oneshots lmao  
I might add another oneshot for Chat's POV

Anyways, I own nothing but my writing.

* * *

 **Asymptotes [Marinette]**

 **Prompt** : What if Marinette finds out who Chat Noir really is before he does?

* * *

 _What does she have to lose, she often asks herself._

They've been doing this for weeks, months, a year had already passed and she realized how time really does fly when you're so focused on things (though in her situation, saving Paris). Life had always been hectic since the school year started and no matter how much she tries she feels the guilt creeping, crawling down her back. Everyday she sees her friends (especially her best friend Alya), her classmates, and most importantly, _Adrien_.

 _Was it worth it, keeping it a secret?_

It's not like she meant to say nothing about it as well as find out, I mean, she was bound to figure it out and vice versa but… she just wishes that she never knew. Never did she want to find out his secret identity as well as him to her (though she knows that he's always asking, he's always wondering, always _curious_ and _frustrated_ with _not knowing_ ). She's not ashamed to figure that Chat Noir was Adrien Agreste, hell no, she was more delighted yet horrified in all honesty. Delighted that her crush was her partner which enabled her to see a completely different side to him, yet horrified of herself being found out.

 _She knows that he likes Ladybug, not her._

When you watch your crush, always keeping an eye on them and being self-aware, you pick up on the little things. She knows that his favorite color's green, that whenever he asks her about Chat Noir he always seems to be expectant of an answer. They both enjoy listening to Jagged Stone and he's often hanging out with Nino while she with Alya. Marinette and Adrien had so much in common, and they were able to bond over those similarities while Alya and Nino were hanging around each other more often than usual. It was nice to know that the always seemingly flawless model had such a dorky side to him, a relief that he showed that side to her.

 _But of course, not to Marinette, but to Ladybug._

She's just an ordinary girl who lived an average life until she met Tikki. Marinette's a wallflower, always in the background and preferring to shy away from the spotlight. She was so, so clumsy and she was always trying to find a way out, a way to get out of all of her problems.

 _This was the one problem that she could not solve._

Unless he loves her, plain old Marinette instead of Ladybug, she couldn't confess if he ever does find out. If he finds out about the her that hides underneath Ladybug's mask, he would surely be disappointed. She wasn't brave, nor did she have any confidence. The mask was what gave her the confidence to speak, the mask was what made her change from an ordinary life to a supernatural one, the mask was what subconsciously brought Adrien closer to Marinette's life.

 _She's scared to get closer to him more than before._

All she can do is run away from her problems, every time she sees him, she hides a part of her. She stutters like a bumbling fool like she always does, nothing out of the ordinary. No one notices the way she tries to hide herself away from Adrien the moment he comes into the room later than her. The excuses she makes to try and get away from him that ranges in a variety of ways from needing to go to the restroom to speaking to a teacher about an assignment to not feeling up to the task of hanging out. Of course, Alya shows a brief suspicion, but once you mention Ladybug she'll get sidetracked.

 _Marinette's ashamed of herself._

She loves him, she really does. Jealousy often overwhelms her when Chloe openly fawns over him as if they were dating (though perhaps she has the upper hand thanks to winning that bowler hat competition), yet the shame follows suit. What right does _she_ have to get angry at Chloe when she could hardly confess to Adrien? When just about several months ago she could barely speak to him?

 _So why, she asks herself. Why did he have to notice her avoidance?  
_

 _Why didn't he just ignore it?_

The changes between them are subtle, and the more they speak to one another the more she grows accustomed to not stuttering like a fool. With each moment of getting to know him throughout the weeks and months, she realizes that even if she loves that façade, the mask he wore at school and in public settings as being Adrien Agreste, it's why she's starting to learn to love his true self when he's Chat Noir. Thinking back on it, why didn't she realize it sooner?

 _It feels so fake to her, though._

Finding out that Chat Noir, someone she found to be a fantastic partner yet with an irritating personality (mostly the puns at the most inappropriate of times as well as flirting with her), was Adrien, the object of her affections this whole time. They've been walking about in circles, with her infatuation with his secret identity and his love for the mask she hides behind.

She couldn't let him know, but she so desperately wants to be happy with him. If she told him, it wouldn't really be genuine love, would it? He's in love with Ladybug, a young lady who wears a mask on her face. Would he really fall in love with her?

 _…so it's better this way, isn't it?_

He's staring at her with genuine surprise at her sudden confession. She couldn't help but feel relieved that he never really noticed her feelings towards him, yet sad that he never really did pay attention to her just as much as he does to Ladybug.

Adrien listens to her words, her telling him that even if she likes him, she doesn't expect the two of them to start dating all of a sudden, nor does she expect him to fall for her because she _knows_ he's in love with Ladybug. The uneasy look on his face was enough to tell her that he was going to reject her.

 _She knew there was no point in clinging onto a slim hope, but she expected this outcome._

* * *

 ** _Asymptotes can get closer and closer, but will never be together._**


	2. Asymptotes - Adrien's POV

**A/N** : P2 of Asymptotes - Chat's POV  
I honestly don't like writing sequels since they seem so much more bland to me and the Asymptotes Two-shot weren't supposed to have a happy ending rip  
Although potentially, it could end happily if I made this into a Three-shot but I'm pushing it with the Two-shot

I should really stop misspelling Adrien with an "a" instead of an "e" lmao

 **Warning** : mentions of one of the Akumatized villains (the Animan / the dude from the zoo) and this ended up as a sequel OTL

I own nothing but my writing.

* * *

 **Asymptotes [Adrien]**

 **Prompt** : Asymptotes - Marinette's POV

* * *

 _There's something odd going on._

Hesitation shifts through her bright blue eyes, he notices in recent days, but it was never there long before. Ladybug's always rejecting him, but he decides to ignore the pain and simply remains content with his normal life with his friends. He's not alone anymore, he's in school now, he's got friends like Nino, Alya, and possibly Marinette if she'd only open up to him. However, _Ladybug_ would always hold a special place in his heart. She saved him multiple times and he too intends to save her many times more so long as the opportunity arises.

 _But he doesn't understand her actions._

The Lucky Charm was bad enough with its unpredictability and Ladybug's thinking that he could only understand later, but before then came her irrational movements. When they faced against the Animan, he didn't expect her to _jump into his mouth_. He didn't expect her to get out of there alive, he expected the worst possible outcome.

 _Needless to say, he does not want to lose anything anymore._

He is a selfless individual who _wishes_ to be greedy, who _wants_ but cannot attain something more. Adrien thinks that he is an unneeded element to Ladybug's life, and it was true that it would stay this way until they found and defeated Hawk Moth… what if he doesn't want this to end? What if he wants to stay this way, fighting alongside Ladybug against the Akuma?

 _There were times he caught a glimpse of her insecurities._

The first time he saw it was when Ladybug claimed to be ill-suited for being a heroine. There were plenty of more times, when he'd see the hesitation flicker in her eyes once she brings out the Lucky Charm, and now, as he thinks back to it, she reminds him of shy, insecure Marinette. He shakes the thought off.

 _If that were the case, then he'd have rejected his beloved Ladybug's confession._

He remembers the days well, it was on a day that his schedule was actually free for him to hang out with Nino and his friends after school. That was the first time Marinette claimed to be too busy, saying that she needed to speak to their professor and promised to help her parents at the bakery. Naturally, they brushed it off and went to that new ice cream shop down the street.

It was only when he saw Nathanaël approach Marinette as he and everyone else filed out of the classroom that he realized the two planned on meeting up after school. Why, he wonders? She didn't need to lie. He wants to stay and question them, wants to ask her why she ended up staying behind with him and not hang out with her friends.

Soon it becomes apparent to him, the way she avoids eye contact with him, slouches in her seat behind him as if to not be seen, and simply makes up excuses. She was avoiding him, so he eventually confronts her.

 _However, he regrets asking._

He shouldn't have asked her why, he should've ignored it to begin with. His confrontation only causes her to confess to him on the spot that the only thing he could think about is how to let her down easily. She's one of his friends, just like Chloe (except Chloe would constantly try to flirt with him), and if his rejection doesn't go well than their friendship might shatter into tiny little pieces. The thought of Marinette being Ladybug crosses his mind, but he pushes it aside because she couldn't possibly be _her_.

Except she tells him she doesn't expect them to be more than friends, she tells him that she knows he's in love with Ladybug.

 _She reassures him that they can just stay as friends._

Marinette is a confusing sort of person to understand. She, like Ladybug, acts in a completely different manner that he cannot comprehend and it's _frustrating_. He expects her to break down in tears when she tells him the 'truth', and despite the sorrow laced in her eyes she can see her awkwardly smile almost as if to try and smack the worry away from him. It's almost as if she _expected_ him to reject her, not that he wasn't going to because he wasn't interested in Marinette despite the similarities to Ladybug.

 _He just doesn't understand her._

An unfamiliar sensation fills his chest, mixed with a twinge of worry, sorrow, and regret, yet he finally says his words and rejects her love confession. The look on her face seems heartbreaking, as if he knows that deep down she's crying and simply refuses to show the tears even now as she waves farewell and heads home.

 _But why, he asks himself, why does he want to say otherwise?_

He sees her (again) as Chat Noir and it hurts him for he has no involvement in Ladybug's life nor does he realize that she looks at him with the same eyes that Marinette held. It hurts that he doesn't understand the reasoning for her tears. She's faking a smile, as if there really are no tears on the verge of forming and he confesses his love to her in the shine of the moon's bright light. The black-haired young woman before him frowns and slowly shakes her head muttering words of apologies. They painfully remind him that he does not know _who_ she is, that he loves _not_ her true self, but a mask she hides behind.

 _He too, tasted the chance of rejection, for he did not understand the twinge of pain sooner._

* * *

 ** _"Asymptotes can get closer and closer, but will never be together."_**


	3. Miracles - Soulmate AU

**A/N** : Soulmate AUs mannn I love them so much rip  
This has a happier ending lmao

 **Soulmates Tattoo AU** – soulmates have the same tattoo inked on them  
 **Online Friends AU** – Chat Noir and Ladybug are online friends

Translations

Please – S'il vous plaît  
Kitty – Minou

* * *

 **Miracles [Soulmate Tattoo AU]**

 **Summary** : Yes, she's known about it all for a long time.

* * *

Truth be told, she's known it for a long time.

Not since day one when he first arrived which was shortly interrupted due to Ivan almost getting into a fight with Kim about his soulmate (a very sweet girl named Mylène), but when he handed her the umbrella, when they first became actual 'friends,' if one could call them that.

Looking in the mirror she sees the tattoo on her arm, later that day. Vaguely, she recalls seeing it on Adrien Agreste as he walks down the steps in the rain and there it is, the tattoo on his arm just showing with the short white sleeve clinging to his skin, a perfect fit as if to tease her that she had someone kind and caring for a soulmate.

Yes, she's known for a long time… that Adrien's tattoo matched hers.

It was a ladybug with a cat following it.

* * *

It was better this way, to keep it a secret.

Soulmates are bound to one another, bringing (normally) two people together and ruining the hopes for others to be together with the one they've fallen for. Eventually, one day soulmates will meet, and she was those fortunate enough to meet him in middle school of her home country.

However there were few who were unfortunate or simply chose to have their tattoos removed. Some were born without a tattoo, others with a tattoo would either fall in love with someone who wasn't their soulmate due to impatience, or they may never meet their supposed lover.

The first time her delicate fingers touched his hand on that rainy day, she felt a warmth deep down inside that could only make her fumble with her words every time she thought about it.

Yes, she knows full well that Adrien was her soulmate. That was the thing though, she doesn't want to go through the process of instantly falling in love with your soulmate… she wants to experience the process of getting to know him before following the plans that fate had laid out for them.

Besides, she's also curious as to how long it might take, even if she's aware of the potential heartbreak.

Chloe didn't have a tattoo, she was born without it as far as everyone was aware of, which made her the most dangerous person in Marinette's eyes for there was a slim possibility that the two would eventually get together if she continues to remain silent.

She's careful with the placement of her coat, making sure to intentionally hide her soulmate's tattoo from Adrien and everyone with her coat's sleeves. There's no need to keep it a secret, she reasons with herself, but deep down, she feels that now is certainly not the time no matter what.

No one knows about it, not even Alya.

There is even a time where she resorts to hiding her soulmate tattoo with a bandage when the coat comes off, making up some random excuse to get her off the hook so no one questions her.

She's _afraid_ , she knows, but of what?

Chat Noir doesn't even bother to mention the tattoos, so she too does not bring it into their simple day to day conversations consisting of puns, flirting, the Skype calls, and things as such.

There's no need to talk about the tattoos when she already knows who it is.

* * *

The first person to find out wasn't Alya, nor Adrien, not even Nino.

It was Nathanaël.

After being obviously and genuinely bummed out, which was obvious as everyone in the class had found out several months prior that Nathanaël had a crush on her, no thanks to Chloe. However all in all he eventually resolved to confess to her of his own volition (as Marinette refused to believe what everyone else was saying unless he himself tells her, for the two artists often help one another out for their own works of art so him drawing pictures of her hadn't been anything new to her).

Regardless, he kept it her soulmate a secret and was fine with being just friends. He had his own soulmate and maybe one day he'll be the lucky hundreds of millions to meet his one and only.

The two of them became better friends because of this.

However that brought Chloe into the mix as if to try and sever any chance Marinette had with the boy she's been crushing on for months.

"Wow, aren't _you_ two lovey-dovey! I guess Nathanaël's little crush on Marinette's reciprocated, non?" Chloe had called out as she snickers with Sabrina from their seats.

The laughter disgusts her but there isn't a need to argue, was there? Marinette can only frown, trying to ignore the blonde's irritating words. It was just her, Nathanaël, Sabrina, and Chloe who clung to Adrien's arm in the classroom during lunchtime.

Despite her feigning ignorance, the red-haired boy outwardly denied the accusations, completely defending the fact that Marinette wasn't his soulmate and that they were just friends. He mentioned that her soulmate was someone cooler than him.

It was meant to bring comfort to her that she had someone to rely on, but all it did was bring out more questions.

She ended up running out of the classroom, escaping the questioning stares.

They wanted to know about her tattoo, they wanted to see who it would be.

Didn't curiosity kill the cat?

* * *

"You seem tense, princess, is something the matter?" the voice that she came to know as Chat Noir questions in the Skype call.

It all started with him talking to her online about her works (the fact that _the_ Jagged Stones had her make him glasses and a cover for his album was also something he found to be fascinating).

She turns to look at the screen, seeing a picture of a boy wearing a simple mask over his eyes, simple fake cat ears rested atop his messy blonde hair. He said it was him in a Halloween costume, once, though she can't fault him for that oddity since her Skype picture was her in a ladybug costume which suited her and Alya's LadyBlog.

Sometimes she regrets ever letting Alya in on the whole 'I'm that online designer you love so much, Ladybug'.

"It's about my soulmate," she confides in him on the secret no one knew. It was inevitable, so letting someone who she might never even meet know about the problem would probably be alright.

There was a moment of silence until Chat Noir spoke up in a questioning tone, "Oh? What about him, mademoiselle?"

This time, it was her fault for the long pause until she finally answers, "He doesn't know. I never told him that he's my soulmate."

He briefly hums thoughtfully, as if to say how odd it was, yet he responds with, "Why can't you just let him know, Ladybug? I'm sure he'd be happy to finally know that it's you."

"I'm scared to."

She doesn't keep her gaze on the computer screen; it's not as though there was a need to since they weren't video chatting, but still.

The silence remains, as if to inquire her for a further explanation.

"There's a girl in my class," Marinette elaborates. "She pretty much hates me as far as I'm aware of, but that's not the problem. The problem is that she's in love with my soulmate and the two of them are childhood friends."

"And why's that a problem? He's _your_ soulmate," Chat says. "If you two are soulmates then there shouldn't be any problem with-"

"She wouldn't have any problems with throwing me under the bus just so she can have him for herself; she's a spoiled brat who'll do whatever she can just to get what she wants. It's probably because her dad's the mayor that she thinks she can get away with anything…" Marinette sighs. "Today, she teased my relationship with a friend and he got all defensive and he's the only one that knows about my soulmate. I'm glad he was concerned about how I looked towards my soulmate, but now everyone's curious about it, including my best friend."

It was no longer necessary for her to continue speaking about the matter of her soulmate, yet the temptation remains and she wishes to elaborate more on the matter.

"…oh, it's getting late. Sorry Minou, but I'm gonna get going now. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Without a protest, though she swears she hears a faint bit of Chat's voice in that last moment, she ends the call without a problem.

As she stares at the blank screen, she wraps her hands around her legs, burying her face into her knees.

Her soulmate tattoo was a wondrous charm, but also a curse.

* * *

He hears the slam of lockers, louder than usual, followed by his classmate's voice.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Alya exclaims, her tone mixing with absolute delight, surprise, and exasperation. "We could've rubbed it in Chloe's face this whole time instead of just walking around in circles trying not to piss off the queen bee, you know. C'mon, let's go tell him!"

"I _can't_ ," Marinette sighs, seeming uneasy.

"And _why_ _not_?" Alya asks, completely dumbfounded with her friend. "I know you have a crush on him and I'm sure he'd be happy to know that his soulmate would rescue him from Chloe; we all know he doesn't reciprocate her feelings!"

"Alya, s'il vous plaît…" _please_ , she quietly pleads, staring at the ground. "I just… I just don't want to tell him… at least, not right now."

Her friend frowns, yet eventually complies with the meek student's request.

"At least give me one reason, Marinette."

"I'm… scared, to tell him," she smiles sheepishly, trying to keep her response as vague as possible.

" _Marinette_ ," Alya frowns, seeing through her friend's attempt.

The smile is lost, fading as Marinette's gaze trails downwards to the ground and Alya can only feel a twinge of regret upon asking the question.

"Forget it, I shouldn't have-" Just as Alya opens her mouth to shake away the tense moment, Marinette smiles bitterly, awkwardly looking up to her friend's face as the reporter abruptly stops herself.

Adrien didn't realize that he had been holding his breath from the other side of the lockers until Marinette had spoken.

"…I want Adrien to love me for myself."

* * *

Ladybug hadn't been particularly opened to the idea of showing her face in a video chat whereas he didn't want to end up in the hands of a fangirl, so more often than not, they either had a simple call or they didn't at all.

However when he asked her if he could see her soulmate tattoo, he couldn't help but feel as though time had stopped.

It was a ladybug with a cat following after it.

He was used to hiding his soulmate tattoo, as a young model, he was no doubt popular with girls around his age that the idea of some fangirl having a fake version of the tattoo just to have an excuse to speak to Adrien hadn't been all that odd.

There's no need to hide it from Chloe, however, because she knows about the tattoo on his arm, and he knows she doesn't have a soulmate, yet he tries to hide it as often as he could.

No tattoo could ever be perfectly replicated, after all, for there will always be a fault of some sort should anyone intentionally try to break up a pair.

He never expected Ladybug, one of his favorite online designers, to be his soulmate.

Briefly, he recalls her mentioning her soulmate days ago and he realizes just how self-conscious Ladybug was about herself.

Then, the locker scene that mostly occurred between Alya and Marinette, the eerily familiar conversation remained tucked into the back of his mind and he realizes the truth.

She was his soulmate, just as he was Marinette's.

He knew that she didn't like herself.

* * *

It was long after she had sent Chat Noir a picture of her soulmate tattoo, and he never brought it back into conversation.

What caught her off guard was the sudden request for a skype call.

Like always, she accepted it.

"Are you Marinette?" were the first words Chat Noir had told Ladybug and she could only stop in her movements, staring wide-eyed at the screen. "Wait," he told her, causing her to halt in her pursuit of ending the call. "I'm _not_ disappointed that it's you, Marinette."

Her voice was small, quiet, and barely audible. "How did you know?"

This wasn't expected, he shouldn't have known who she was—was it possible that he knows her in her actual life? No, no, she didn't want him to figure it out so easily, she wanted to tell Adrien herself when the time was right and only Alya and Nathanaël found it by pure coincidence and-

His words interrupted her train of thought.

"It's me, Adrien," he says and she finally realizes that it wasn't a picture of Chat Noir in his Halloween costume anymore.

It really was Adrien and she couldn't stop the tears that began to pour.

She was absolutely speechless.

Slowly, she turns the video on after wiping her tears away, staring hesitantly at the green eyes that showed on the screen.

His smile was warm and encouraging, and for once, they can finally see eye to eye.

* * *

 **Everyone wears a mask, but sometimes taking it off can create a miracle.**


	4. Stuck on Repeat

**A/N** : oops my hand slipped onto the angst- A "What-If" Scenario on a Ladybug/Chat Noir repeating a past mistake finished at 5:40AM lmao

This was also based off on a fic that I read about Bridgette/Félix a while back when I was plunging myself into the ML fandom/fanfics (if only I can remember what it was called though OTL).

Recently I've been posting some of my writings onto tumblr and I'm planning on posting them onto AO3, so if I suddenly stop posting here just check on Tumblr and AO3 (my username is the same in a whole lot of places).

I own nothing but my writing.

* * *

 **Stuck on Repeat**

 **Summary** : It's painful, it really is… and as she stares at the scene before them, she can only remember that sense of déjà vu.

* * *

 _"_ … _so if I kiss him… he'll gain some luck?"_

Her soft voice had broken the fragile silence and the duo floating before her had given one another a look before giving the young woman their full attention. Plagg could only respond in a tone devoid of his regular laze, replaced with a more serious voice.

"Yes. By kissing him and removing the ring at the same time, you're essentially exchanging your luck with his. Although, considering that you'll be Ladybug and Chat Noir after you put the ring on, the bad luck you receive from the ring will cancel out the good luck that the earrings give you so you have nothing to worry about, unless you're not prepared for this upcoming fight."

 _The long-haired young woman closes her eyes, wiping away the tears that had fallen down her cheeks._

The ladybug kwami floats to Plagg's side, a concerned expression written across her face speaking obvious conflictions. He says nothing, just watching the scene with his facial expression remaining blank. Plagg's ears begin to droop ever so slightly, and Tikki's eyes glisten with unshed tears.

 _It starts off slow, the slight shuffle in the young woman's movements._

They watch her gently cup the unconscious young man's cheek with her seemingly delicate fingers. Tikki turns to look away, her hand tugging on Plagg's who remains to be their actual audience. The young woman was more preoccupied with the injured man than to be embarrassed about the kwami's observation.

 _She leans closer to the unconscious man._

Tikki remembers the words that she tells her, about how much she wants to have her first kiss on a date with the boy. She spoke of how she could imagine the day perfectly – a sunny day with quite a bit of clouds floating in the sky without a care, and how they'd take a leisure walk through the park and over to the new café that recently opened up. They'd spend the day together just holding hands and talking to one another in a blissful happiness, and in the end he'll walk her home. She might take her time tying her shoes as an excuse to waste some time with him.

 _It wasn't fair how similar they were, i_ _t wasn't fair, but things happen anyways._

Plagg eventually closes his eyes when he's certain that they're about to kiss. He too remembers his charge's words, about how the young man was head over heels for Ladybug and would jump for joy if he was given a kiss. The cat kwami can only frown and keep his eyes closed. He can feel himself being pulled away along with the ring, something he hadn't expected to happen so soon between the years.

 _She slides the ring off of his finger soon after parting from the kiss._

His lips were lukewarm, frighteningly cold yet still holding onto warmth, something she hoped would succeed from the luck exchange Plagg had told her about. In her smooth fingers in contrast to her calloused palms, she can feel the ring in her hand, the cursed ring filled with nothing but rotten luck to it's wielder. Delicately, she slips the ring onto her finger and Plagg is suddenly popped into her line of sight as if he had never disappeared.

 _How fitting, a ring of misfortune now belonged to her._

The tears make their way through and she closes her eyes once more as she slips away from the blond's side. Whether Tikki and Plagg wanted to say words of comfort or not, she was glad that they tried to maintain the silence. She couldn't be emotionally strong for anyone if they were to be there for her.

Brushing a strand of her shoulder-length hair behind her ear, she looks out the window to the moonlit night, seeing butterflies fly in the sky over towards a particular area. The mere sight of such a peculiarity had told her loud and clear – Le Papillon would be waiting there for Ladybug and Chat Noir.

 _"I'm so sorry… but I love you, Félix… I always will."_

"I'm sorry, Adrien…" Marinette whispered in the silence as Plagg and Tikki followed her towards the open window. "…I love you…"

* * *

 **There will always be a Ladybug and a Chat Noir, and while every single one of them is different, time repeats itself.**


	5. Until the End of Time

**A/N** : Tikki and Plagg-centered | LadyNoir | slightly spoilerish with [Princess Fragrance]

Thanks for everyone's love and support in the review section, my March has been a very hectic time and with graduation rapidly approaching I'm really happy to see all the positive reviews, particularly the informative ones about why you enjoyed them! u/v/u

Just to keep in mind, I don't like pranking / pulling an April Fools prank lol :P

Anyways, I've got a couple of wip oneshots saved on my laptop and right now I'm just working on finishing them, but sadly it's gonna be a slow process with how hectic life is right now.

I own nothing but my writing.

* * *

 **Until the End of Time**

 **Summary** : No matter what happens, they will always find one another.

* * *

Over the years, she thought that _maybe_ she was fine with it, that she had grown accustomed to the darkness all while being contained in a closed space. It was a constant, being locked away while the great guardian kept a close eye on the Miraculous.

"Are you really okay with staying inside of my purse?" the girl questioned worriedly, her eyes shining with concern and a familiar kindness.

It almost reminds her of the previous charges, but Tikki disregards that piece of information and smiles reassuringly. "Yes, I'm used to it. Now, hurry before you're late to school!" she warns before hiding away with the stash of cookies once the familiar panic springs into her charge's eyes.

The purse closes and soon, she's wrapped in the cold dark. It was an unfamiliar sensation and she finds herself whispering in a hushed tone of voice.

"She's a really warm person," she comments, trying to comfortable remain seated within the purse, half-expectant for a familiarity. "Oh… right…" she trails off, closing her eyes as she finally remembers her situation.

She and Plagg were separated once again.

* * *

When Ladybug and Chat Noir finally meet, she's expectant, hoping for the two heroes to reveal themselves by their own volition. Upon the reveal, they would spend time together, both she and Plagg, and their charges will fall for one another with time. Of course, there were only few to truly end up together with their partner. Ladybugs and Chat Noirs are _expected_ to end with a love story of some type. It's wishful thinking and it becomes time consuming, but she'll have to wait to see the end of this story no matter how much she quietly waits.

Of course _he's_ the one to propose the idea of revealing themselves, he's always the one to try to speed things up, always trying to butt into the situation. The meddlesome black cat smiles and she's tempted to run over and hug him for missing her, but to smack his head for interfering. She might very well do both depending on the outcome, for she hopes that a repeat in time will not occur.

Tikki and Plagg will always be together, Ladybug and Chat Noir are destined to be lovers regardless of gender. They are yin and yang, one that cannot survive without the other.

Hugging her legs, she thinks of their past conversations, whether simple and repetitive, she doesn't care.

She misses him.

* * *

Unexpected as it is, she opens the girl's purse a tad bit and peeks out to look onto the new environment that will someday become a thing of the past. Yet she finds her eyes trailing to the boy's bag down on the floor, her wide dark eyes meeting his peculiar cat eyes.

They don't speak any words in the chatter-filled classroom, only staring at one another with a look in their eyes that speaks for themselves. She resists the urge to rush over to him and she knows he's trying his best not to leave the boy's side. He's a cat, after all, always curious and wandering.

She's tempted to giggle, yet she only settles for smiling. He grins widely like the dork that he is, and once again everything feels as though it's back to normal.

'I missed you,' they mouthed, but didn't speak.

* * *

He's not lonely if you were to ask him. Just like Tikki they're constantly with their charges 24/7 without much of a choice, not that he minds because Adrien reminds him of _her_. He makes him remember how lonely she was until they first met, how she musters up the strength the persevere. Tikki's a friendly person just like Adrien, bound by their responsibilities if it weren't for him being a curious cat and interfering with their lives in some form.

…Okay, maybe that's why he _sometimes_ feels alone, because they are separated by the words of 'duty' and 'responsibility' that's attached to the title of being a 'Kwami' and he's grown too used to butting in and spending time with them. (Well, that _might_ be the reason why Chat Noirs were always wild and carefree, but that's not the point because there would always be a Ladybug to watch their backs should anything reckless occur.)

He doesn't like it when Adrien has to skip school for modeling and things as such, because a moment away from the school means another time wasted when he could relish in the silence and familiarity of Tikki's presence.

She brings a calming aura everywhere she goes, except when she gets angry. It shows through when she transforms into Ladybug, it reminds him

(He finds her to be absolutely adorable, no matter what.)

* * *

The memory of her crying in the darkness of the Miraculous's container hasn't been forgotten, and Plagg gives her pats on her back and semi-awkward hugs of comfort. It's not the first time, it won't be the last no matter how much they can hope.

There will always be failures and successes, what happened with Bridgette and Félix won't be the first or last time, it never is. Time and time again, everything seems to be a déjà vu moment, whether it's Ladybug or Chat Noir, one of them may be accepting to the person underneath the mask, or for a worse case scenario, they won't take the reveal well.

The memory stays in mind now that they're in the hands of newer Miraculous Holders in Paris. He understands Tikki's insistence on waiting for them to make the decision of their reveal, and even if it pains him as Adrien stares out the window after Ladybug had left the room as Chat Noir, he too doesn't wish for a mistake to happen once again.

The girl underneath the Ladybug masks had fallen in love with the lonely child underneath Chat's mask, and Adrien, unlike Félix, had truly fallen for the mask of Ladybug. (It's true that the masks brings about their true selves, and it's also true that no one realizes that until it's too late.)

They're too similar to Bridgette and Félix, except Félix wanted to break free from the curse of Chat Noir's Miraculous and looked up to Ladybug for her good luck. Perhaps it's Plagg and Tikki's fault that they can't see what's right in front of them.

He opens his mouth, the temptation to let him know at the tip of his tongue as he sees Tikki on the TV screen, the temptation to shout out her name right there… but he doesn't. It'll work out, everything will work out and everyone will be okay. A part of him wants to know why she's there in a coat pocket of Prince Ali, and _not_ with her charge.

Eating his beloved Camembert cheese, he tries to feign ignorance and is undoubtedly grateful for an akuma to appear, for once.

When they're in the car getting chased by the akuma, he hears her cute sneeze even when she's trying to remain still.

He wants to bring her to the great guardian himself, but he cannot.

She doesn't want to reveal herself.

* * *

Bridgette and Félix are a tragic tale of a requited and unrequited love, comprised if an ending where one dies and one is hospitalized. Adrien and Marinette, while similar to the previous tragedy of their former charges, were a story that held a hopeful ending that has yet to be told.

Tikki and Plagg are forever an ongoing story, continuing onwards in time, watching stories form from beginning to end.

The cat kwami sits besides the ladybug kwami under the tables as the day goes on, their hands touching in this peaceful silence.

One day, maybe Marinette and Adrien might very well be the happy ending they've been wishing for over the decades…

* * *

 **In the end, they will always find their way back together.**


	6. Rainy Days

**A/N** : Adrienette | LadyNoir

Posting this right before my next class so if there are mistakes than I'm sorry for not being patient enough but I've been working on this story for weeks-

I own nothing but my writing.

 **Translations** : French  
Chaton – Kitten/Kitty  
Merci, ma dame – Thank you, my lady  
Bonjour – Hello  
Oui – Yes  
Madame / Mme – Ma'am / Mrs. / Ms.

* * *

 **Rainy Days**

 **Summary** : Even if she wants to, she can't run forever.

* * *

 _It was raining again, just like that day long ago…_

 _No, she shouldn't think about the day she fell in love, otherwise her heart may very well shatter._

Tears slowly fall down her cheeks in small rivers as she watches the rain pour down before her in what sounded like soft brushes, yet hurts like a barrage of hail the moment the drops of water hits her hands. She paid no mind to the cold breeze and it feels almost as though she's suffocating in a silent film, the skies being a dull gray and the scene feels incredibly cliché, like what one would expect from a typical love story.

 _The hatred leftover from earlier in the day however, was still fresh in her mind._

 _She hates Chloé so much, but there's no point in it._

 _Marinette's used to it at this point in time._

For a brief moment her mind thinks, 'I want to run,' but she knows that she cannot. Her leg tingles with a creeping pain, and as she gently raises it ever so slightly to take a step forward, the pain twitches and she recoils, her leg placed back to where it was originally. The pain caused by the akuma attack gives her a sharp warning to _not_ make a run for it, for it may very well snap much like a mere twig would, should there be more strain placed upon it.

She wants to scream out loud in frustration, but she does not, fearing that Tikki would begin to go into alert and come out of her hiding place in her bag which would potentially result into a bad case scenario should anyone see the small floating kwami (even if she so desperately wants her comfort), not to mention that she doesn't want to cause unnecessary worry. The black-haired young woman doesn't care about herself, and perhaps that would be the reason as to why she considered running in the rain (when it might result in a cold due to her stress level with her situation), but despite all of that, she cares about others far too much. She loves and loves far too much, her heart's too soft.

Maybe that's why she couldn't bring herself to enter the barrage of rain, for she worries about her bag getting too drenched and Tikki who she wasn't entirely too sure about wanting to be soaked. The kwami had been sick a while back, surely that meant she could get sick from the rain as well?

Heaving a sigh, she clutches her bag to her chest and begins to enter the rain until suddenly the rain stops falling down on her a few moments later. Looking up, she sees a black umbrella, and turning around, she sees her crush of over a year now. She stares at his look of uncertainty before she looks away to the scene before them, and she tries not to cry for she no longer has the cover of rain to hide the stream of tears.

 _It was a silent walk filled with tension for her._

 _Marinette didn't know whether to curse at her inability to run away or not._

"Are you okay?" Adrien asks in a soft tone of voice laced with worry and concern, and a hint of hesitation.

 _She deludes herself, telling herself that his concern for her is only because they're friends and nothing more._

He doesn't _have_ to be here for her, she reminds herself, he doesn't _have_ to worry about her, nor does he _need_ her around. She's tempted to turn around and tell him the bitter truth straight to his face, that no, she's not okay and she probably won't be for a long time. That unlike days ago, she will no longer be able to run like the way she used to, that she'll just be a burden to everyone precisely because one of her legs are injured.

Alya's probably going to fuss over her much like how her mother would; Marinette's an open book when it comes to pain, just one hint of pain etched onto her face and Alya would instantly get her to the nurse's office.

Her parents would see her off to school. They would help her walk outside and her mother or father would be waiting outside of their bakery watching her cross the street and making sure that she safely gets to school as they watched from the bakery.

Tikki was somewhat different, she was more of a mother hen compared to Alya, since she was always keeping an eye on her movements and made sure she didn't push herself too hard, and she was her closest friend (because of Ladybug). Then again, she's always been like that, always hanging around Marinette, but that's what makes her different from everyone else. Tikki doesn't have much of a choice on the matter (though if Tikki had been a human friend, perhaps she would've been grouped with Alya).

Marinette's train of thoughts briefly flicker across her mind, reaching to the conclusion on her partner.

 _Chat Noir would have to handle being alone for a while._

 _She doesn't want to tell him why, she wants to avoid a confrontation when it comes to reasons._

He'll be fine though, he's always fine, and even if she cannot run and strain her leg more than necessary, she could still purify the akuma, she could _still_ use her yo-yo to drag Chat away from any sort of predicament.

 _It's all because Tikki refuses to transform her… unless an emergency were to arise._

 _She can't avoid transforming, she_ _ **is**_ _ladybug, after all…_

… _even if she doesn't feel like it._

How amusing, she had once thought dryly, to think that the Miraculous Ladybug charm didn't fully heal extreme (near-death?) injuries but could completely fix up minor cuts and bruises, cleanse the temporary negativity that lied in the air (and most particularly in her classmates which was probably no thanks to a particular blonde young woman), fix broken down buildings, move people to where they probably should be, and transform nonhuman beings back to their regular human selves.

The young woman manages a simple smile instead of spewing out the bitter and poisonous words that remained afloat within her mind, "O-of course, Adrien! Wh-what… makes you um, think that there was uh, s-something wrong…?"

She's come a long way, she internally praises herself for she was finally able to hold a conversation with Adrien in contrast to the time where they first befriended one another under the rain. At the same time, it hurts. She stabs herself with troubling words, questioning why she chose now of all times to bottle up her emotions when he was right here with her, by her side.

 _When Adrien is so willing to truly become her friend,_ _ **she**_ _shuts_ _ **him**_ _out._

 _Kind of similar with Ladybug to Chat Noir._

 _He's_ _ **always**_ _there for her…_

… _yet she runs._

"You seemed a little down," Adrien responds vaguely to the question at hand and she can only manage a bitter smile. She could feel his gaze on her, and weeks ago she would've screamed with joy at the idea of him worrying over her, but she doesn't want it. Paranoia fills her from top to bottom and she thinks that he's staring at her leg in particular.

 _If he pitied her, she didn't want it; he could keep his pity for all she cared._

 _The tears forming in the corner of her eyes stated otherwise._

It was a suffocating sensation, one she hadn't been quite used to. It feels so… _odd_ to her to be in such a problematic situation (that didn't involve school nor Ladybug, but Marinette's personal life). It was all Chloé's fault for telling her such harsh words.

 _Chloé speaks with a wicked voice as she frowns, wrinkling her nose in dissatisfaction upon looking at Marinette._

" _No matter how you feel about Adrikins, someone like you will_ _ **never**_ _be his girlfriend."_

" _Stop hanging around him just because he_ _ **pities**_ _you and your injury."_

" _He's_ _ **my**_ _boyfriend, not_ _ **yours**_ _, Marinette."_

 _How was she to know he was taken?_

 _The words stab her._

"I'm fine," she murmurs quietly, though the tone she speaks suggests that the words were spoken for _her_ sake, not his.

A silence slithers in between the two, contributing to a stiffening wall that grows. Apparently he did not share the same thoughts on their semi-awkward situation, for he was lost in thought while she didn't care.

"…this kind of reminds me of when we first really spoke to each other," he suddenly mentions, smiling at the memory in a fond manner (though perhaps it really _was_ a fond memory, for that was the start of their friendship despite her initial bitter demeanor towards him).

"…You reme…?" she cut herself off, shaking her head as she looks straight ahead. "I… I guess so." The fact that he remembers that moment with the umbrella causes her heart to beat and flutter more so than usual.

 _She doesn't like thinking about the past, because that was when her crush on him began._

 _She'll need to move on because he will never be hers no matter what happens._

 _The rain falls down and she feels like crying once more._

"Marinette?" Adrien's voice questioned with a tone of concern. She avoids looking in his eyes though she turns her body to face him.

"O-oh, um… Adrien, I… I'm going to get going now. I-I'll be able to get home from here, so uh, don't worry about me!" she chirps, smiling that nervous smile like always before turning around and moving away from the comfort of his umbrella and into the rain's line of fire.

 _She disappears through the crowd of pedestrians, leaving him behind._

 _Turning around to look back wasn't an option to do._

 _Today she ran away yet again._

* * *

Weeks had passed, and within that short period of time she and Adrien had drifted apart from her avoidance. Nobody seems to really notice the extent of what goes on asides for slight peculiarities. Chloé's been all the more cheerful, hanging around Adrien almost all the time with Sabrina following shortly after (it wasn't anything new, she was always acting like that since the beginning). Adrien's grown silent, as if he were in a daze more often than not. Marinette hardly speaks to anyone anymore, only speaking to Alya and sometimes Nathanaël.

On another note, her leg injury was _almost_ fully healed, healing faster than what anyone expected (though it was mostly thanks to Tikki's good luck, she would assume). It made her happy to know that she wouldn't be a burden anymore and that she was able to continue being Ladybug at any moment. She was able to run, however any longer than a couple of minutes would be far too much. At least Tikki gave her the okay to return to patrolling with Chat.

 _Her heart clenches and she looks over to Chat Noir who was being oddly silent with a troubled expression._

 _She was already about to lose Adrien, and she most certainly wasn't going to lose another friend._

 _After all, Ladybug was stronger than Marinette can ever be._

"Penny for your thoughts, Chaton?" she asks, noticing how oddly silent her partner had been. He remains silent as she observes him from her place on the rooftop. "You're… being oddly quiet today. Is something the matter?"

"…Ladybug, what… what do you do when your friend starts avoiding you?" his serious question catches her off guard, for she wasn't quite used to hearing such a tone from her partner.

She frowns momentarily with the similarities before looking off into the distance after catching the frown on his face. "It… it depends…" she trails off, hearing Chat's bell ringing ever so slightly as he readjusted his seating position by the edge. Glancing at him for yet another mere moment, she can see the expectant look in his green eyes and she falters briefly. "Chat, what kind of person are you…? Confrontational, or not at all, I mean."

He doesn't understand the sudden question, yet reluctantly he answers, "…it depends, my lady; when push comes to shove I can be confrontational sometimes, but believe it or not, I'm a gentleman in my civilian life so I tend to feign ignorance sometimes," he gives her a wry smile after returning her initial response, though she knows he's serious due to the faltering smile on his face.

"… _do you know **why** this friend of yours is avoiding you?" she questions._

 _He falters, "Not at all…"_

The look on his face shows that there's more he'd like to bring into conversation, something he wants to say but at the same time, perhaps it's too personal of a thing to bring up. He knows, _he knows_ that Ladybug must've been well-acquainted with Marinette that he feels that he shouldn't bring her into the matter.

 _Marinette wasn't confrontational, yet Ladybug was… or maybe that's just her doubting herself._

 _To put it simply, she couldn't imagine herself to be in Chat's shoes._

 _The girl would always run, after all._

She can only grimace as she calmly speaks, "If I were to give you advice… as surprising as it may be, I'm not a confrontational sort of person in my civilian life and I've never really encountered that sort of situation concerning someone avoiding me. If you _really_ want to talk with your friend, then try to talk to them, maybe visit their house. Even if they want to run, they can't run forever."

 _He smiles genuinely in contrast to his usually flirtatious manner._

 _She doesn't know why, but her heart flutters lightly as he looks at her, something only Adrien can do to her._

 _With a soft smile, he says to her, "Merci, ma dame."_

 _Thank you, my lady._

… _But does she really deserve it?_

* * *

It was a normal day, with the clouds parting to make way for the clear blue skies and the bright burning sun as she runs down to the school from the bakery. Her leg burns with a slight bit of pain, but it was okay, everything was okay now that she can run without too much strain, according to her doctor. From today on, all she cares about is that she won't be burdening Chat Noir all that much anymore.

As she enters the classroom, she was noticeably in a tired mood as she was late to art class ( _of course_ she'd be in good graces with her art professor so it wasn't any big deal to the older woman, they both had conversations regarding clothing designs before and the kind older woman had given the teenager a few pointers on anatomy; naturally they'd drag Nathanaël into the conversation because he too was a fellow artist in their class).

"Bonjour, Nathanaël," Marinette greets hesitantly with a sheepish grin as she enters the classroom, seeing all of the students scattered around the room paired into groups of two.

 _She's not sure if it's obvious, but she does not want to be here._

"Ah, Marinette!" the red-haired boy fumbled, evidently flustered as he smiled brightly upon seeing his artistic friend. "I thought you'd never show up…"

"Eh… oui, I was just… uh, I kind of got a little- well, _really_ sidetracked…" she laughs nervously before regaining her composure. "Anyways, what are we doing today?"

"Self-portraits, although I was partnered with Adrien who's speaking with the professor right now, so we won't be partnering up this time as we usually do," he responds, eying Adrien who had been speaking with their art professor about who knows what. "Well, uh… I suppose you might be partnered with the professor unless she decides to place you into a group of three…" he trails off, somewhat uncertain, and the girl of his former affections understood the reason why for his brief moment of hesitation.

 _The two of them has an unspoken understanding, for a person in love can understand the feelings of uncertainty._

 _Sometimes they simply jump to the wrong conclusions without trying to figure out the truth._

 _Otherwise their hopes will rise._

She knows he was (and _perhaps_ still is) in love with her; she doesn't know how to respond to that for she's in love with someone else. All she knows that the heart beats, and love becomes fickle much like a constant game of cat and mouse that runs at the most random of times. Either you become consumed by the cat with your feelings, or you the mouse manage to get away unharmed.

He knew that Marinette didn't love him back and he _did_ manage to get over her with time even if a little, hell, all he wanted for her was to be happy to begin with so he didn't mind the matter of it being one-sided. Nathanaël could only hope that it would be soon when she and Adrien get together, yet upon seeing the hesitant expression on her face, he could tell that something was wrong.

 _Marinette was not a good actress._

 _It's not easy for her to hide her heart no matter how much she tries._

"I… I see…" she trails off as her eyes glance over to Adrien, faltering for a moment when his green eyes met her blue ones. Inwardly, she flinches as she manages a relatively awkward smile, bracing herself for a few moments more as she looks over to the professor who had taken notice of her late arrival.

 _Maybe Tikki's good luck had worn off now that her injury had been fully healed, she briefly considers._

"Marinette…?" Nathanaël questions in a tone laced with concern and all Marinette can offer him is a feeble reassuring smile before greeting their professor.

"B-bonjour, madame," she smiles sheepishly as she addresses the art professor. "I'm sorry I'm late, I was at the doctor's and… well…" the black-haired student rubbed the back of her neck, looking everywhere but at Adrien who stood besides the professor.

 _If only she stared at him, if only she caught a glimpse of the hurt on his face as she avoids him…_

 _Even though they could be considered friends, she wants to be more._

 _Although they can't, he's already with someone else._

"Don't worry about being late, Marinette," the professor shakes her head as her gaze trails down to the girl's leg before looking back at her face. "Is your leg doing better?"

"Ah, oui," she nods, smiling wryly as the nervousness began to fade. "It's almost fully healed, but I can run again as long as I don't try to push myself."

The teacher hums thoughtfully, "That's good to know. Hmm… ah, right, right, the assignment," the woman nods, dragging herself back to work. "Marinette, I wasn't entirely sure as to whether or not you would show up, so I paired up our dear Nathanaël with Adrien…" she trails off with uncertainty laced in her voice. "Ah! Kim, there you are," the professor hums, taking the art materials from the young man. "Marinette, you and Kim will work together today."

 _She's not sure if luck really is on her side; did she want to hear Adrien's name and not Kim's?_

 _Well, isn't she just **pathetic** , she thinks bitterly yet remains silent._

* * *

"Sorry for always bothering you, Ladybug," Chat had told her, in response, she waves off his concern, and the duo remain perched atop the roofs, observing the starry skies above, or the Parisian citizens moving in swift motions to and from various destinations.

"It's fine, we're partners after all," Ladybug says. "What's going on with you and your friend, still having problems?"

 _Solemnly, he nods and she thinks that such a look doesn't suit her closest friend._

"She's still avoiding me and her best friend's starting to notice now," Chat sighs. "Really, she pretty much slammed her hand on my locker, looked me up in the eyes and said, 'what the hell happened, she's not telling me anything'. I think that's been the first time I felt genuine fear asides for the whole akuma thing…" he sighs.

" _What'd you tell her?"_

"I told her I didn't know what happened, but I think I only ended up agitating Al-uh…" he trails off, hand running up to cover his mouth as he briefly peeks over to Ladybug. "My other friend," he coughs.

 _If only she noticed his stares, familiar green eyes and a familiar appearance._

"Hmm," she trails off. "It's not good to agitate a friend," she sighs. "I ended up frustrating my friend when I refused to tell her why I've been avoiding my crush."

"Oh? Now, why would you do that, ma dame?" Chat questions, his heart dropping at the fact that she was in love with someone.

"I heard he was dating Chloé Bourgeois," she wrinkled her nose. "I may like him, but I'm staying out of their love drama it now that he's taken."

"Now, what kind of purrson would even _want_ to date her?" Chat frowns.

"Adrien Agreste," Ladybug says and Chat freezes. "Oh, it's raining…" Ladybug comments with a soft smile, her hand touching the drops of water that fell. "I used to love rainy days… it was the day I befriended my crush and fell for him."

Smiling softly, Chat hints, "…rainy days also reminds me of when I first became friends with someone. I gave her a black umbrella, and it kind of closed on her, but we both laughed it off. After that, I almost thought she hated me until she stopped stuttering around me…" he says, noticing Ladybug turn around to look at him with wide eyes. "I… I don't think Adrien is dating Chloé Bourgeois…" he whispered, embarrassed at admitting such a thing.

"O-oh? Are you sure?" she questions, embarrassed. "W-well… I… I uh, I think we've found the solution to your friend problem," Ladybug sheepishly says, rubbing the back of her neck. "I-I'm sure that… Marinette won't be avoiding you now that she knows…" she looks down, fidgeting with her fingers.

"Do you… um… _think_ , that Marinette would be interested in going on a date… with Adrien?" he asks, a hopeful tone laced in his voice.

"If he asks her tomorrow," she says with a teasing smile and red cheeks. "I'm sure that he'll have enough luck to hear a favorable answer, mon chaton."

Listening to the sounds of raindrops, their fingers found shelter in their interlaced hands.

* * *

 **The rain can drown you, but one day the clouds will clear up and the sun will shine.**


End file.
